Homemade 24 hour Yoghurt

The Best Yoghurt Ever!

I have been making SCD yoghurt twice a week for years now. It has become routine. I am relaxed and confident about the procedure and sure about the result. I wasn’t always like this, so don’t worry if you feel out of your depth!

It takes 24 hours plus a few hours chilling time but it’s not difficult or time consuming. The actual “hands-on” time is minimal; about 10 minutes. It just requires planning, because if you forget about it, you’re more than a day without yoghurt.

I only recently bought a Luvele yoghurt maker. Goodness knows why I didn’t sooner. Plug it in and step away. It’s so simple.

So how does it taste?

If you are used to rich & creamy dessert-like yoghurt like I was, you may find SCD Yoghurt quite tangy at first. It tastes like natural Greek yoghurt. In the beginning I preferred to eat it with savory meals, like curries and Mediterranean style dinners but I quickly acquired the palette for its a-la-natural goodness.

Healing an upset digestive system requires a transition away from sweet food anyway, so you might find your taste buds begin to change. Foods that you commonly enjoyed may stop appealing to you. I personally couldn’t stomach the rich vanilla yoghurt I once ate every morning with breakfast.

How to eat it?

You can eat SCD Yoghurt any way you like. My kids love a dash of maple syrup. I have a cup full with stewed rhubarb every morning. You can add it to smoothies or add fruit, nuts, vanilla, honey, coconut chips or cinnamon. Whatever your palette desires. Go for it!

CHOOSING THE MILK

If you want the most nutritious yoghurt possible, it must be made from good quality milk. The most nutritious milk will be from animals eating their species appropriate food. For cows, this means grass! Not grains. I use biodynamic milk to ensure this.

A brief overview…

Raw milk: Unless you are fortunate enough to have access to a dairy, raw milk can be difficult to find. Raw milk is obviously straight from an animal, is free from processing and as a consequence it comes to you with its own unique bacteria. It is jam-packed with beneficial enzymes which is what makes it so appealing to more and more real food enthusiasts these days.

In Australia, it is illegal to sell raw milk for consumption but there is a commercial loophole that makes it available in health food stores labeled as ‘Bath Milk’. Yoghurt made from raw milk may vary from batch to batch. (I have further notes on using raw milk in the Step by Step Yoghurt recipe below)

Unhomogenized organic or biodynamic milk: This is milk that has cream floating on the top and is my preference.

Organic milk:These cows may have been fed grain.

A2 milk: May not be organic but because it does not contain A1 beta-casein protein it is easier to digest.

Conventional full cream milk: These cows will have been fed grain and will have traces of pesticides & antibiotics.

Goat’s milk:Goat’s milk contains mostly A2 beta casein proteins which is much more digestible and is an option if you are sensitive to cow’s milk. Goat’s milk is considered to be more digestible by humans as it contains less casein and different types of fats and proteins.

Nut milks: SCD Yoghurt can also be made from nut milk or coconut milk. I haven’t experimented with this yet, however when I do, be sure to read the post!

Yoghurt starter culture must be stored in your freezer. To ensure freshness it is recommend to divide the culture into two jars. 80% of the culture should be in one jar and rarely opened. The smaller portion is your working supply. One sachet of yoghurt culture will make approximately 80 x 1 litres batches!

You can also use a tablespoon full of SCD yoghurt to kick start another batch.

Without a starter culture….

24 hour yoghurt can be made from commercial natural Greek yoghurt but it won’t have all of the above mentioned bacteria. Be sure to check the ingredients list to avoid any with added flavors, sweeteners, starch or pectin. My first batches were made with Greek yoghurt.

Unless you otherwise have commercial Greek yoghurt in your fridge, this is not the most cost effective method. Why buy a tub of yoghurt and not eat it? A container of live starter culture is definitely the only way to go. It will last for months in the freezer and make approx. 80 litres!

PREPARATION

You should sterilize all the yoghurt making equipment before-hand. I admit to being lazy with this step. The only danger of not sterilizing is that other bacteria can overpower your starter culture and affect the quality of your precious yoghurt. I thoroughly wash everything in hot soapy tap water, rinse and dry with a fresh tea towel. I find that is enough.

CONFLICTING METHODS

Your yoghurt maker and culture will come with yoghurt making instructions. I recommend you follow the SCD method.

HOMEMADE 24 HOUR YOGHURT – STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure Quantity

Measure the appropriate quantity of milk to fill your yoghurt maker and pour into a large saucepan. The milk expands a little when it is heated so use a large pot.

If you are using raw milk…

If you prefer to keep the original flavor and nutritional properties of raw milk then skip the next step. Pasteurization (heating of the milk) will cause loss of vitamins regardless of whether it is done commercially or by you at home.

If you don’t heat the milk the innate bacteria of the raw milk are preserved. You may get a much runnier yoghurt however as the milk’s raw enzymes will compete with the yoghurt starter culture and interfere with the yoghurt consistency.

You can take a 50 / 50 bet and gently heat the raw milk only to 43 degrees Celsius. This will preserve the integrity of the fragile milk proteins, enzymes and some of the competing naturally occurring bacteria without too much damage.

2. Heat the milk to 180° Fahrenheit (82° Celsius)

This is just the moment before the milk is about to boil. You can actually see this pre-boiling point; the milk begins to swell and rise slightly. The milk must not boil however.

I used to find this step nerve racking. I would stand by the pot with thermometer in hand, waiting and waiting. It felt like an eternity. Recently I timed how long it took to reach 170 degrees and that has made the process failsafe and stress free. I now set my oven timer at 7 minutes and relax. When the beeper goes off I know I have at least another 30 seconds to get to the stove and turn the heat off. Now that last 30 seconds seems to take an eternity!

3. Let the milk cool to below 43° Celsius before adding the culture. It is fine if the milk cools well below 43° or even goes cold, it just mustn’t be too hot. Temperatures above 43° Celsius will kill the starter culture.

4. A layer of skin layer will form on the yoghurt as it cools. Leave it in. You don’t want to miss this incredible, rich and nutritious layer of cream!

5. Add the yoghurt starter culture and whisk until it is evening dispersed.

6. Pour the milk into the yoghurt making container and put the lid on. The milk is now ready to begin fermentation.

Without a yoghurt maker this is the trickiest part! The temperature must stay between 38 – 43 degrees Celsius. If the temperature becomes too hot the cultures die and your yoghurt will be ruined. Too cold and it will become dormant and you will get slimy, stringy yoghurt.

There are many ways to do ‘make-shift’ fermentations, but it has to have a continuous and stable heat source for 24 hours. Heat lamps and a low oven were fine methods for a 6 hour fermentation. Ensuring a stable temperature for 24 hours could be beyond any one’s patience – unless you happen to have a heated glasshouse. Treat yourself – invest in a yoghurt maker. I highly recommend a Luvele Pure Yoghurt maker because it has a SCD setting that makes it as simple as pressing a button. Failsafe and easy!

7. Set temperature for a minimum 24 hours.

8. Refrigerate.

Straight from the cooker the yoghurt will be warm and runny. Be gentle with it and don’t stir it or else it won’t set in a perfect white mass. Place the tub in the fridge for approx. 6 hours to set.

ENJOY YOUR HOMEMADE YOGHURT!

Measure the appropriate quantity of milk to fill your yoghurt maker and pour into a large saucepan. The milk expands a little when it is heated so use a large pot.

Heating the Milk to 82° C or 180° F - DO NOT BOIL

Let the yoghurt cool to below 43° C

When it has cooled to below 43 degrees Celsius, lift most of the skin off the yoghurt. (This is a personal preference. Leave it in for a chunky rustic yoghurt if you like)

Add the yoghurt starter culture and whisk in till it disappears.

Pour the milk into the yoghurt making container and put the lid on. The milk is now ready to begin fermentation.

Set the timer to 24 hours

After 24 – 29 hours the fermentation is complete. Straight from the cooker the yoghurt will be warm and runny. Be gentle with it and don’t stir it or else it won’t set in a perfect white mass. Place the tub in the fridge for approx. 6 hours to set.

3.2.2802

A note on fermentation…

I previously used an ‘Easyyo’ yoghurt thermos and a slow cooker filled with warm water. My slow cooker had a KEEP WARM setting which kept the temperature within the SCD fermentation limits. This set up worked fine for a while. It made great yoghurt but it was extra work – and little bit dangerous Too often the water would totally evaporate and the slow cooker was dry as a bone. I was lucky not to crack the ceramic dish!

I’d be happy to answer all your yoghurt making questions! Just give it a go.

WARNING:

If you are lactose intolerant, have a serious digestive disorder or are prone food intolerances, it is highly recommended to start very, very slowly with this yoghurt. Start with a few teaspoons and monitor your sensitivity.

Hi Carmel, I’m not 100% clear on your question but I think you are asking me about why I bought that brand of yoghurt maker?
Good question. I’m actually preparing to post about a new yoghurt maker I have recently bought. It is an Australian company called Luvele. This yoghurt maker has SCD temperature settings. Which is great! Some yoghurt makers only fall within the temperature setting by 1 degree (which is close too being hot for my understanding). $40 online. It is a glass yoghurt container as well which I personally feel is a lot safer than plastic. You can check them out at Luvele.com

Was just wondering if the separate little jars are as good or better than the 1 big one? They are out of stock of the bigger one at the moment…
Also, in the picture the end result has the yogurt on top and the watery whey under it yes? And one would just eat the top layer of the yogurt and do what with the bottom watery mixture?
Thanks for sharing!
Jules

Hi Jules, I enquired about the yoghurt makers only yesterday actually. The Luvele ‘Pure’ model (that I recommend on my blog) should be in stock in 3 weeks. I have never used the small jars so I can’t comment. They could be handy if you wanted to transport containers into work?? Use what suits your lifestyle needs.

I use the whey for all sorts of things; mainly I add it too my kids smoothies or secretly pour it onto their breakfast. It’s really amazing stuff, so I generally don’t waist it. Sometimes I feed it too my animals if I have too much in the fridge. They LOVE IT. If you don’t like it, throw it out? It does take a bit of getting used too.

Thanks for your response Barb. What an amazing world in which we live hey… I put the question out there and presto! you give me your hard earned knowledge…
So appreciated it and look forward to checking out more of your stuff.
Thanks!
Jules

I’ve been looking online for hours for something like the Luvelo maker! It’s out of stock at the moment but really hoping they deliver to the UK. I’ve tried two other yoghurt makers but they both reach temperatures far too high, and the Yogourmet maker that lots of people use doesn’t work the same way in the UK, according to reviews. Thanks for the tip!

Hi Lucy, I’m sorry the Luvelo Pure is currently out of stock. Did you email them and ask how long it will be? I’d be keen to know myself since I send customers there way? I can ask for you if you like. If you can’t wait – the Luvelo Grand keeps within the temperature range however it doesn’t have a timer. I’d personally wait for the ‘pure’ though because it just makes yoghurt making so easy! I’m sure they will ship to the Uk – you will just have to use an adapter. Happy days

Hi Lucy. I hope you’re well. I’m following up an old query you made to me regarding yoghurt makers. I’m not sure if you are still in need but LUVELE have just informed me that they are about to release a UK model of the ‘Pure Yoghurt maker’ (with compatible plug) They will also ship? Available from 15/02/16. Cheers Barb

Hi Barb,
I have just taken delivery of a Luvele yoghurt maker and have a few queries:-
There are 3 temperature settings, which one do you use ?
What is the ‘confirm/cancel’ button for? Is this the like a ‘start’ button ?
What is the flashing light ?
Does the timer count down so that you can see how long there is to go ?
The 24 hour timer is great Another yoghurt maker I’ve used had only a 12 hour timer so I have to keep making sure I am home to reset another 12 hours. One large glass bowl is a lot easier to use and wash than lots of small jars and lids. The clip-on lid is a great storage idea so overall I’m very impressed with this yoghurt maker and can’t wait to try it to add yoghurt to my SCD diet.
Thanks for all your information,
Joanne

Hi Joanne, Thanks for the questions. I’m sure you will enjoy your yoghurt maker once you relax into the process. It is very simple.
Yes you can change the temp but I always keep it low to ensure the culture doesn’t die. (38 degrees is perfect)
The start button is the ‘confirm’ button. When the light stops flashing fermentation has started.

The timer will beep when the yoghurt is done. (after 24 hours) SCD yoghurt can take between 20 – 30 hours. If you are not home when the yoghurt is ready, it will not spoil. The heat will stop but it won’t matter if you don’t get to it and it sits in the maker for another hour or so. The beeper will continue to go off until you turn the yoghurt maker off – so there is no chance you can forget about it.

Yes the clip on lid is a great new addition to the recent model. A handy improvement especially for transporting/ travelling with a tub of yoghurt. Or just ensuring it doesn’t spill in the fridge!!. The lid that is used while the yoghurt is heating does not seal.
I hope this helps.

Oh no! I can’t tell you how many times I have accidentally boiled the milk, even with a timer on. I generally pour the milk down the sink and nearly cry.

I have never continued making yoghurt. Perhaps I should, so I could tell you from experience how it turns out. I beleive it can result in grainy yoghurt. Here is an excert from The art of fermentation. “The faster you heat the milk, the more grainy bits of overheated congealed protein you’ll find in your yogurt. What this heating accomplishes, aside from killing native bacteria that could compete with the introduced cultures, is to alter the structure of the milk protein, casein, a key to thick, firm yogurt. Holding the milk at this high temperature, with constant stirring, will result in evaporation and concentration of milk, further contributing to a thicker end product.” Boiling milk will make the yoghurt even thicker.

Is the scd yoghurt okay to feed to my dogs daily? They currently get a probiotic capsule but I’d like to give them the real thing as they love yoghurt and one does have a weak immune system. They are both German Shepherds 43 & 32kg.

Sorry, I was away and then completely forgot to reply! Apologies Ana. Absolutely, give it to your animals. My dog loves to drink left over whey. My cat prefers yoghurt. I’ve even tried giving whey to my chickens but they stood in the bowl and spilt it.

Hello! Just ordered my machine, thank you for the tip. There are so many starter cultures available and it appears not all are SDC compatible. Do you use the tangy yoghurt culture from green living Australia? Ask why is bifidus a no-go?
Thank you!

Regarding Bifidium bacteria. I can confirm that this is a fact .I had my stools tested at Bioscreen, Melbourne by a ‘what I was told’ was a world renowned gut flora expert, Dr Henry Butt, and one of the things he found was very low Lacto bacteria and very high Bifidium. I had been eating one of the commercial brands of yoghurt for several months before it. He said Bifidium spp produce so much lactic acid they lower the colonic pH which modifies faecal microbial metabolism resulting in decreased production of volatile fatty acids, altering intestinal epithelial barrier function (in other words causing leaky gut syndrome). I was advised to stop all bifidium sources and possibly consider taking an antimicrobial agent like ampicillin to assist in suppression of the organism. I now make my own yoghurt every fortnight with freeze-dried SCD approved probiotic cultures.

Barb, I’m having great difficulty seeing what I’m typing on this page with pale grey print on a white background. Is there any reason why we can’t have black print ?

Love my Luvele and have now bought a second one. One for probiotics and one for plain yoghurt without the Lacto probiotics. The probiotics are very strong as with all probiotics in fermented food, rather than in a capsule.

Hi Barb,
Thanks for the information. I purchased the culture from Green Living and it arrived today from NSW. How much do you use for a litre of milk? I read the instructions and it says to use 1/10 which is hard to workout consisering the suppy itself is about a quarter teaspoon. How much do you add?
Cheers

Hi Julia, you really only need the tiniest amount of the green living starter culture. Literally like a pin heads worth. 1 mm square is enough I promise. As tempting as it is to put more in – it’s never a good idea because it will result in slimy yogurt. (fine to eat – just slimy). Recently, I have been blogging for Luvele – you might find this post helpful. https://www.luvele.com.au/blogs/recipe-blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-yogurt-starter-cultures
Thanks for the question and good luck. Sing out or PM me if you need help

Hi Barb
I have purchased the Luvele yoghurt maker thanks to you. It takes the guesswork out of maintaining temps & I’m happy with it.

I’m using Green Living but the 2 lots I’ve made seem ‘stringy’ a bit like melted mozzarella! I’m only using a tiny amount as per a previous recommendation from you to someone. I haven’t strained it though is this the problem?

Hi Amanda,
I’m glad you love your maker. I’m actually working for Luvele now. Sorry your yogurt didn’t turn out perfect though. I still think it’s because you are using too much starter though. Stringy in my experience has always been because I used a little too much starter. Consider the tip of a pointed knife (something like a steak knife) use only a few grains on the tip. A pin heads worth is enough to make yogurt. Let me know if this helps. Good luck

Thanks for your tip Barb. Nailed it! Found a great milk too so had the added bonus of a little fermented cream on top. Can u tell me have you tried the different temps on the Luvele yourself & how they alter the end result?